Qld man faces trial over cold-case killing

Nicholas McElroy

Published: 10/06/2019Updated: 10 June 2019 3:26 pm

Robert Wagner faces trial over the alleged murder of his uncle Gerhard Wagner in 1999 Credit: AAP

A cold-case murder trial has heard of grisly allegations a Queensland man bought cleaning supplies for "working with acids to clean floors" after cutting up his wealthy uncle and throwing the "offal" into a river more than 20 years ago.

Gerhard Wagner, 61, was last seen riding a motorcycle from a work shop after working on his prized yacht on January 7, 1999, a Brisbane Supreme Court trial into his murder has been told.

His body and the motorcycle have never been found.

Robert James Wagner, Gerhard's nephew, pleaded not guilty to his murder on Monday.

The court was told Wagner's uncle had "considerable assets", plans of sailing the world on his yacht and a dinner date with his partner at a Breakfast Creek steakhouse before his disappearance.

Crown prosecutor Philip McCarthy said the Crown contended Gerhard "is not someone walking the earth as we speak" before detailing the various changes Wagner made to his uncle's will in the months before his disappearance.

He said Wagner owed Gerhard $84,000 and was in a difficult financial position before he disappeared.

It is alleged Wagner murdered his uncle in the garage of the Ashgrove unit he lived in which was owned by his uncle.

He said Wagner was a "habitual diarist" and wrote to himself asking rhetorically "is there anything in my statement that is suspicious?" in the wake of Gerhard's disappearance.

A witness came forward with claims Wagner told him he had "knocked his uncle off" and got away with it.

The witness, who can't be identified for legal reasons, said Wagner told him he had cut and hacked his uncle to pieces with a knife.

Wagner allegedly told the witness some of the body - described as the "offal" - was thrown into a river while other parts were disposed of in locations in the Glass House Mountains.

Wagner's barrister, David Funch, asked the jury to consider whether there was an accidental way Gerhard could have died and disappeared and if any witnesses had a reason to fabricate a case against him.